SJKT St Joseph Sentul

Yeah, we can’t fix all the school problems at one go. But we need to have radical action to improve, if not, will take few decades (if not a century) to improve situation in Tamil schools. Put a timeline, fix 30 schools a year, and you can settle most problems within 10 years.

THE SJK(T) St Joseph, Sentul, is in need of more space to accommodate the increasing number of students each year.

The school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) chairman, Alice Fatimah, said the school had 180 pupils, including 33 Year One pupils, which was the maximum.

The school, which is a wooden building, was built in 1924,

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk T. Murugiah visited the school to welcome the new pupils on Monday.

Saying hello: Murugiah visiting a class at St. Joseph Sentul on the first day of school. With him is Kaveriammah (right).

“There are no basic fascilities in the school and has bad ventilation. It is hot all the time.

“The building is infested with termites and the resource centre is cramped. There is also no field for the pupils for sports activities,” he said.

He added that he would bring up the matter with MIC president Datuk G. Palanivel and would work towards getting land nearby for relocation.

“The school’s PTA has identified five sites for relocation and the proposal will be presented to MIC.

“Being a partially-aided school and owned by the church next door, we need permission from the church before carrying out any activities,” said Murugiah.

He thanked the parents who were willing to send their children to the school, in spite of its condition.

The school had the best results in UPSR among Tamil schools last year.

The school’s headmistress, N. Kaveriammah, said they needed a bigger land and more facilities to perform better.